Railyard Project gets the green light

Speaking of eyesores, the Railyard project got a green light from the City Council on Tuesday. Over the next 20 years, in theory, the project will begin to develop downtown into a "real" city. We'll see jobs, stores, mixed use housing projects, a cultural center and a major infill project take form.

I'm in support of the idea of the railyard project, I really am. But is this the city council to do it? So far we've seen the arena fall through, the completely botched development of North Natomas, the big hole known as The Towers and the troubled Aura Condo project. Sure, it's a down market but it wasn't in the 90's when they approved the debacle of North Natomas. The city surely has had an economist or two studying the market and preparing for fluctuations, right?

As a longtime resident of Sacramento, I'm ready for an all new council full of young, entrepreneurial talent with bold ideas, creative plans and a environmentally friendly way to make Sacramento really shine. This council is none of those... We can only keep our fingers crossed that the next election cycle will bring out some new blood.

Thanks Pardee Homes for the big, ugly eyesore

It's no secret that I live in North Natomas and that I'm concerned with the development in the area. We fell for the big lie in 1999 and now we're stuck. But the big lie just gets worse as weeks go by and suddenly we're left considering turning our house into a rental just to get out of here. Is that really what's best for the city? For the neighborhood?

The latest thorn in my side is the hugely ugly eyesore that Pardee Homes has left on the corner of Del Paso and Gateway Park. A big concrete wall advertising Natomas Meadows, a chainlink fence surrounding the entire development and pipes sticking up everywhere. They didn't even stick around long enough to finish the road damage caused by their heavy machinery. Eight houses sit very lonely in the middle of all the mess, with lights on full-time burning up kilowatts for nothing.

According to the Sac Bee, Pardee Homes decided not to play the game anymore and shut the development. Since they couldn't charge the exorbitant and outlandish rates of two years ago, they mothballed the whole thing. They reassured the Bee that they'll be back when they can make more money and they'll finish the development.

In the meantime, those of us still here are stuck with the damaged road and the hideous fence to stare at every day driving to work. It's all a big reminder of the big lie.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I love Christmas in Sacramento! The weather is just chilly enough to feel like winter but you won't freeze your tush off at any of the outdoor celebrations. You'll have lots of options of things to do so get out your mittens and get ready to celebrate. Here are just a few upcoming ideas:

*Fairytale Town Winter Wonderland Saturday, December 1st. Visit with Santa and his elves, do some art projects and listen to music all while enjoying Fairytale Town.

*Old Sacramento Heritage Holidays November 21st thru December 23rd. An assortment of activities including a holiday train ride, Christmas puppet show, Discovery Museum projects, historical reenactment and the Capitol City Yacht Club's lighted boat parade

*Ice Skate Downtown Plaza November thru January 21st. Your chance to pretend you are a kid again, or take the kids and show them how great you really are!

*Holiday Magic at the Zoo Saturday, December 8th. You had no idea an orangutan can open a present did you! All the animals at the zoo receive special gifts.

And that's just for the next week!

Day trips from Sacramento to celebrate the holidays

The scent of the holidays should be in air right now, but we've been stuck in this bizarre late summer weather. Even Halloween seemed a little off- just a few times did I smell the scent of burning jack-o-lanterns or hear the crunch of leaves on the sidewalk. It looks like you're going to have to leave town to get the holiday celebration underway!

Mark your calendar for the Grass Valley Cornish Christmas celebration, Friday nights from November 23rd thru December 21st. Businesses in downtown Grass Valley decorate their windows in celebration and there will be live music, carriage rides, food and drink, entertainment and much more. The downtown is closed to vehicle traffic and you can stroll along in peace with your family.

If that weren't enough celebration, you'll love the Nevada City Victorian Christmas just a few weeks later. Chestnuts will really be roasting on an open fire, strolling minstrels and carolers fill the streets and Santa will make a visit. You can check out the Victorian Christmas 3 Wednesday nights December 5, 12 and 19, from 6-9 p.m and 2 Sunday afternoons, December 9th and 16th from 1:30 to 6pm.

If you're really up for an adventure, make a weekend of it and spend the night in one of Nevada City's beautiful bed and breakfasts. If you're lucky, you just might get a sprinkle of snow to kick off your holiday season.

Dear Mayor Fargo, you have really done it now

This morning I opened up the Bee to find an article that has had me grinding my teeth for three hours. I am so mad I could spew! Thank you Mary Lynne Vellinga for getting out what I've been complaining about since we moved to North Natomas in 1999. The North Natomas community plan was a farce designed to make the city look like good planners. Don't believe me? Read the Grand Jury Report.

Somehow all the lies of Lennar and the promises of the city have slipped the councilmembers and the mayor's minds. I have ranted extensively about the lack of police substation, the unfinished parks, the rezoned school land that disappeared. But Mayor Fargo has outdone herself this time.

Quoting from the Bee article "While she frequently hears complaints about a lack of police services, Fargo said the area has much less violent crime than many other city neighborhoods."

Seriously North Natomas residents, your mayor just told you to stop whining because people don't die here.

I ran the crime stats myself this morning from 8/1/2007 to 9/30/2007. The area classified as North Natomas had 194 crimes, 22 assaults. East Sacramento had 240 crimes, 19 assaults and Land Park had 119 crimes, 10 assaults. Yes... the data suggests that we are faring better than Oak Park or Del Paso Heights.

But when I bought my house, I wasn't promised that it'd be better than Oak Park.

We bought our house in Natomas Park in 1999 on a PROMISE from the city that it would be the most amazing development in all of California and even maybe all of the west coast. We gave up a nice house in East Sac, near everything, including the light rail to work. We were promised regional parks, bike and walking trails, great schools, a light rail line, public transportation and walking commercial centers.

According to the article, planning director Carol Shearly says "We were cautious about overburdening the development with fees because we really wanted it to get started." So the city didn't bother to make sure that all the promises they and Lennar were selling, were actually funded. They didn't stop Lennar from publishing their fancy brochures with all the wonderful amenities. Mayor Fargo and Ray Tretheway talked up North Natomas like a new Disneyland- everything you could want and more.

Knowing full well that they were unfunded and that many things, like the police substation and community centers, had been taken off the table long long ago.

Councilman Tretheway says "I talk to a lot of average people. They love Natomas. They're going crazy over it." Seriously Mr. Tretheway, do they live here? I love my neighborhood but I wouldn't say that anyone I know is "going crazy over it." Afraid to walk to school? yes. Afraid to walk around at night? yes. Afraid of getting hit in one of the disastrous parking lots? yes. But going crazy? That's a major leap of faith.

Ms. Vellinga's article points out that the city decided the grand jury report used outdated information. That is correct, but that was the entire point of the grand jury report. The city did not follow the original community plan; they simply changed it at will. Many of us bought our houses based on "outdated information."

To Mayor Fargo:
Now I'm mad. You have a reelection campaign coming up. I'm throwing my money, time and energy behind someone else. I'll be knocking doors and ringing phones for another candidate who perhaps won't be so overburdened by the job. You are no Joe Serna.

To the young girl who left her baby with a stranger at a Natomas bus stop (and a thought on sex ed)

I know there's probably no way you're reading this but on the off chance you are, thank you. Thank you for realizing that you may not be ready to be a mom. Thank you for choosing a young woman at a local bus stop who looked like she might care. You may have even seen her before and thought she was nice. Thank you for not leaving your baby in a dumpster or in your closet. You are a good mom because you did what was best for your baby. That's all a mom can do.

Now... why exactly did this girl leave her baby at the bus stop? We don't really know but I'll venture a guess... she didn't know any better. The paper and the news are falling all over themselves trying to condemn this young girl because we have a "safe haven" law. Seriously, if you know a kid between 12 and 18 ask them what you do if you have a baby you don't want to keep? I'd venture to guess not one of them will say 'Oh it's easy, you just take it to a fire station and nobody will ask any questions.' And even if they do know, they don't actually believe that nobody will ask them anything. Heck I don't even believe it after reading the brochure.

They don't know because it's not part of the class. I taught 8th grade sex ed for 2 years at a local middle school. We don't discuss the save haven law because you certainly wouldn't want to encourage teens to abandon their babies. It's kind of the same backwards theory about only teaching abstinence- if you tell them about sex, they might want to try it- so don't tell. Sure we have old drawings of body parts and how it works. Once, we even taught them how to put a condom on... until some parents had a fit and it had to be removed from the curriculum. We covered STDs but not pregnancy and certainly not what to do afterward.

So if the young girl is about 16... she was probably 14 or 15 when she got pregnant. She is probably a freshman in high school. So I'm venturing a guess that the sex ed curriculum she had was the same as I taught. She never knew about any safe haven law. If you've ever actually had a baby of your own, you know that those 24 hours after delivery are full of panic and apprehension, even in the most planned pregnancy situations.

She found her own safe haven.

Bear with me while I make a huge leap here. Recently I've been watching The Truth About Food on Discovery Health. Last night I watched an episode with what I call "The Raisin Test." If you restrict a certain food but leave it visible, children crave it to the point of actually pushing and shoving to get at it when it's allowed. Even if it's only raisins.

Sex to 16 year olds is raisins. If you forbid it, make it mysterious and magical, they will crave it and push and shove to get it. Are we doing our kids any favors by forbidding raisins? Are we doing them any favors by refusing to teach them actual scientific information about their bodies and allowing them opportunities to talk about the pressures they feel in life?

To the young girl in Natomas... I wouldn't turn myself in either.

A slacker, a harvest festival and pumpkin patches

I've been so obsessed with another blog I'm working on- China Free Christmas - that I haven't been taking care of my Tomato blog. So many things have happened in and around town without me sitting down to type. Apologies... but hey- you have a great resource for toys not made in China!

One important, exciting and fun event of note coming up soon is the Elk Grove Harvest Festival. This is one of my absolute most favorite October events and one of the best pumpkin events in town for families. There are tons of carnival games for the kids, the most gargantuan pumpkins you've ever seen, entertainment, food and more. Sadly, my husband's work scheduled a picnic the same day so we won't get to attend this year.

If you're in the mood for pumpkins, my favorite the local family run Bastiao Farms that turns into Goblin Gardens during October. The family hay ride is so much fun and they may even give you a taste of the delicious fresh corn right off the stalk. You can wander the fields for hours and pick your own pumpkin to bring back in a wagon. We actually went 3 times last year!

*• Goblin Gardens Pumpkin Patch, 3845 El Centro Road, Sacramento; (916) 416-1133

If you're looking for a day trip and want to get out of town- head to Bishop's Pumpkin Farm in Wheatland. There you can ride a train, have a BBQ, slide down Coyote mountain and much more. Plan for the event to take the whole day, there's more to do out there than you think!

Stay tuned for a guide to Apple Hill, next week!

The Chaos (aka CalTrans) is about to begin...

The worst traffic snafu you've ever seen in Sacramento is coming... and it's going to last for at least 8 months. Yes you read that right, for 8 months Sacramento will be thrown into traffic chaos. According to the Bee, beginning in February or March, Caltrans will shut down sections of I-5 through downtown daily for months and months to repair the section of I-5 that is below river-level. The current plan is to close one or two lanes in each direction from Richards to the 50 interchange.

I don't mean to be alarmist but this is going to be a serious mess! Regardless of what time of day, the downtown area is always slow as people try to get off downtown, get over to the interchange at 50/80/99 and the tourists get lost because signage is bad. Can you imagine what the downtown area will look like during Jazz Jubilee? It's bad enough Jubilee weekend that most locals avoid downtown like the plague but now we have to content with tourists and closed lanes. I think we'll go to LA that weekend... the traffic can't be worse.

The road's a mess and it has to get fixed, I'll give Caltrans that. I'm pretty sure that building a major freeway below river level was not the best idea and that in a post-Katrina world, we really need an upgrade. I wish the plans included a raised section so that we won't have to tear it all back up again in 30 years.

My bigger concern is the possibility of the City to just overlook the entire situation. Quoting the Bee's quote "Hopefully more folks will take light rail, buses and carpool" city traffic official Hector Barron said.

Uhh.... what light rail? The City let builders develop the entire North Natomas area without light rail. Where's the DNA line? Stuck on someone's desk. Buses... there's a thought. Hypothetically if I wanted to ride the bus from the Kohl's in North Natomas to downtown it'll take between 25 and 46 minutes, assuming all buses are on time and I only want to travel on the weekdays during rush hour. Best I can tell, you CANNOT get downtown from North Natomas on the weekends. According to RT's online trip planner "There is no service on the day or at the time you've requested. Please try a different date or time."

My recommendation to the city- you'd better get ready to throw some serious funding towards the North Natomas Transportation Management Association and be prepared to cover alternate routes with bus coverage and weekend routes. You cannot ask people to 'hopefully' use alternate routes if you don't provide them. I'd also up the number of carpool spots in City lots and make parking with an authorized carpool free during the traffic problems. Let City workers with non-essential job duties telecommute, work alternate schedules or give carpool bonuses during the first month in particular.

But whatever they decide to do, they have to do something... just waiting until the chaos begins just isn't a good option.

It's official... sort of... The NBA settles on Cal Expo.

According to the Cal Expo website (run by the state), it's official- the NBA has settled on Cal Expo as the preferred location for the new arena. The commission received a letter dated September 5th inviting Cal Expo to enter more formal discussions regarding arena plans. The commission directors will vote on September 28th whether or not to authorize formal negotiations. Stay tuned for more.

Things to do this weekend in Sacramento

The weather is just perfect and you can actually be outside for more than 2 minutes without cooking. They're saying it might rain on Saturday but who's afraid of "scattered showers" anyway?

For kids and families:

*Storytelling Series at Fairytale Town. At 12:30 and 2pm, enjoy stories, music and fun on the outdoor Mother Goose Stage.

*Junie B Jones at B Street Theatre. If your kids are slightly older (probably 5 and up) and will sit through a play, this is the one to see! B Street's family series will delight your entire family and you'll be happy to see kids shows in a real theatre setting too.

*The circus is in town! Ringling Brothers are at Arco all weekend.

*Mix 96 Kite Fest at Elk Grove Regional Park. Come to the free family festival (weather providing) and enjoy the professional kite flyers, live music, children's activities, and a Root Beer garden!

To Cal Expo or not? The tale of the arena plan continues

The woes of the arena and the Maloofs continues... where to put the new arena? Will it even stay in Sacramento? Who will own the arena, the parking etc? The saga continues...

The NBA is currently in talks to make some sort of an arrangement at Cal Expo. If you've been reading, you know I'm not really fond of the way the City of Sacramento has handled the whole arena situation. While the state owns Cal Expo, I am not hugely confident that they will do any better in negotiations. Perhaps if the Maloofs are not in the initial discussions, the NBA and the state will fare better.

There are two major issues I see with an arena at Cal Expo. The most complex problem will be parking revenue. This has been a major issue of contention and the main reason the railyard arena plan failed. The Maloofs do not want to sacrifice the bread and butter of parking. Yet Cal Expo makes a significant portion of their revenue from parking and will likely not part with it. How will they work out the parking so that everyone gets what they want? Now that the state is involved, I can only imagine the bureaucratic pile of red tape.

A less complex but more frustrating problem will be the traffic situation on the Cap City freeway and around the area. It is currently 5:02PM on a Wednesday and the traffic in the area (according to News10 Traffic Maps) is moving at less than 25 mph. What happens with a 7pm game start and rush-hour traffic? This area is already a complete disaster during evening rush hour, Christmas shopping and the State Fair. I'm no urban planner, but it doesn't take a degree to realize that pushing through10,000 to 15,000 cars extra through the area will be a major snafu.

I'm not opposed to an arena at Cal Expo... I'm just wary. The grounds are rundown and the area is not designed well to support sudden traffic flows. I'm skeptical that an arrangement can be reached in which the area receives substantial money for infrastructure, the grounds are rebuilt nicely and the traffic flow can be rerouted sufficiently. Perhaps the NBA is willing to invest the kind of cash necessary to solve these problems? Is David Stern really that committed to keeping the Kings in Sacramento?

All of this... while Harrah's and AEG are putting together the new Las Vegas arena...

I'm not holding my breath or buying season tickets.

Gold Rush Days in Old Sac

Take the family out for a historical day of reenactments, education and fun games and entertainment! Admission is free and events begin at 11 through Monday. It's an entirely different experience to see the streets of Old Sac covered in dirt and all the cars removed. Kids will enjoy trying to play authentic games of the time period while adults marvel at the food preparation required in early California. I highly recommend it for everyone. For more information visit the Gold Rush Days website or just pop over to Old Sac anytime this weekend. If you're already been to the fair, this is great entertainment for the long weekend.

One word of caution, if your children are frightened by loud noises, check the schedule carefully for reenacted gun fights and cannon firings. You'll want to be on the opposite side of Old Sac when they occur.

A great place to blow $30, eat a ton and have fun!

My son has a new favorite location. It's not technically Sacramento, but it's close enough that he does not complain once about being in the car. If you have kids under 40 you must take them to the new John's Incredible Pizza!

Located in the old Sam's Club building in Roseville, just off the Atlantic St. exit, you'll find fun, food and entertainment. John's has some of the best pizza I've ever had, especially considering it's mass produced buffet style. The Garlic Alfredo is worth the drive alone! For $6.49 at lunch or $8.49 dinner and weekends, you'll be treated to all-you-can-eat buffet of pizzas galore, a large salad bar, breadsticks, pastas, desserts and ice cream. You'll load up your tray and sit in one of the theme rooms from cartoons to cabins, techno to calm and quiet. The cartoon room is our favorite because we can eat and chat while the little man watches a few cartoons that are generally kid appropriate.

After you are stuffed to the brim, venture into the gaming room where you can play a variety of games, bowl, ride a few rides and gamble for tickets. You can purchase individual credits on a card or just go for the gusto and get the $24.95 fun card with a ton of credits on it. There are many choices and the place is much cleaner than any Chuck E Cheese I've ever seen. Little man loves that the games give out tons of tickets too so you can buy cool prizes at the end.

If you're looking for an alternative to the same movie and coffee date, JIP could easily be a fun and exciting date night as well! My husband and I could easily spend an evening there playing games, dueling on the mini-bowling alley or battling bad guys in the teen/adult games in the back.

A children's museum would make us a "real" city

Once upon a time, about two years ago, some neighbors and I embarked on an adventure to start a children's museum right here in Sacramento. We made some decent progress when we were shocked to discover another group was working on the same concept. We handed over all of our materials and gracefully bowed out of the competition, as we were promised that the other group had significant fundraising capabilities and "larger" contacts in the community.

Two years and some change later and the Sacramento Children's Museum website hasn't been updated. From what I understand, they got stalled in arena talks, the discussion of putting some sort of civic contribution at the railyard and general infighting among the group. It's a real tragedy that they have been unable to get something productive off the ground.

What brings this up? I spent the day with my son at the Stockton Children's Museum. We sat in a real ambulance, police car, bus and fire truck. We shopped at a pretend grocery store, looked at x-rays, learned about delta fish and made some great art. For a measly $4.50 each, we played in an airconditioned, child-friendly, educational center. For three hours, he was able to touch everything in sight, experiment and play in his own way and discover how to make current flow on a water table.

So why don't we have a children's museum? Most major cities in the US have at least one, some have several. My personal favorite is in Portland, but we have also visited similar designs in San Jose, Seattle, San Antonio, and San Francisco. Each is unique in the way it is presented, but all are designed for children to learn and explore on his/her own terms. They allow children of all types, ages, shapes, sizes, disabilities and backgrounds to come together and play in a unifying and friendly way.

It's time for Sacramento to get on board. Sure we have the Discovery Museum or Explorit in Davis but these aren't the same. Science museums are exciting and interesting but you have to be old enough to manipulate the exhibits and understand the context of the information. At a true children's museum, kids come in with all different education levels and still appreciate the exhibits, discovering and learning as they go through.

If we are to be a true family friendly city, it's time to provide an enriching, enlightening experience for all families to enjoy. If Stockton can do it, Sacramento can too.

Yes we have a budget... mostly

So after much deliberation the CA Senate approved the budget today in nearly identical form as the Assembly passed it weeks ago. What was the holdup?

Apparently Republican Senators were unhappy with the promise of the Governator to make some line-item veto cuts on his desk. According to the Sac Bee, they didn't trust their own party Governor to uphold his word to remove an additional $700 million from the budget. Yet suddenly, they have a newfound trust and believe the Governor will keep his word. The only other major gain the Republicans made by holding out was an amendment to protect infrastructure bonds from greenhouse gas emission lawsuits. That doesn't strike me as a major gain, nor one the Democrats would have refused in regular session.

Perhaps it's time to sit down and seriously reevaluate the CA budget process. Obviously, being 52 days late on a budget is not a good plan. If I were 52 days late paying my credit card, you can bet there'd be someone calling my house, my cell, my work and anywhere else they could find me. Why then are Californians so unconcerned with the ongoing budget problems?

Could someone explain to me why our legislators were out playing softball instead of wrapping up loose budget ends so that we could pay healthcare providers, childcare centers and others?

Will we get a budget today?

Today lawmakers return to a budget stalemate that is keeping many Californians from getting paid... will they pull their heads out? The Assembly has passed a version but the Senate Republicans are still holding out for more cuts. In the meantime, children's health care issues are heating up in the newspapers and TV ads but being ignored while the budget debacle continues.

Will we get a budget? Will we get children's universal health care? Will the Republicans dump the Governator for pushing them on the budget? Will we have a budget by the September recess? Stay tuned for more on "The Downside of Full-time Legislatures"

Avoiding the fair? Three things to do this weekend-

If you're not really into the State Fair, or you just want to wait for the crowds to die down a little- try these three fun events and activities around town this weekend:

*The Great Sacramento Duck Race- Events and activities begin in the Old Sac waterfront area at 10am. Stick around until 3pm to see the official Great Duck Race as many as 20,000 rubber duckies will make a journey down the river to win prizes. All in good fun, the event is a major fundraiser for Special Olympics of Northern California

*The Yolo County Fair- If you're looking for a more mellow, true fair and farm experience, check out the Yolo County Fair! If you hurry, you can still get tickets for the old-fashioned destruction derby on Sunday.

*The WOOF Movie night in Elk Grove- Get the whole family out to see Fox and the Hound after dark.

And a bonus extra for those without kids or who already have a sitter- tickets are still available to see Lewis Black at the Community Center on Sunday.

Where oh where is our budget?

Imagine for a moment that you had a project deadline at work but you decided to just skip it and go on vacation. Six weeks later, you're still dilly dallying around the office, filing a few papers and making a few phone calls but still haven't bothered to finish your project. Would your boss be very happy?

Now imagine that your project is affecting millions of people around the state. Some people will soon run out of healthcare options, others won't get paid and many hardworking people will begin to wonder if they'll make their house payments. From the Sacramento Bee's Dale Kassler on 8/9/2007, "All told, an estimated $1.1 billion in bills didn't get paid across the state in July, state Controller John Chiang estimated last week. Another $2.1 billion would be withheld this month if there's no budget."

3.2 billion owed to Californians who contract with the state and they're not getting paid. If you were my employee, I'd fire you. Oh wait, you are my employee. You are a legislator who works for me. Did you get surprised by the budget deadline? I hate it when June comes every year... it's so sneaky! Perhaps you were too busy on vacation to realize that elder care homes, childcare centers and MediCal clinics are in danger of closing because you're on the beach?

August 20th the vacation ends and the project better get finished. You should be embarrassed.

It's almost back to school- 3 things to do this weekend before it's over

The back to school signs are up, the sales are on and it's almost the end of summer! Even if you don't have kids, there is something about "back to school" that brings you back to reality. Vacations are done, swimsuits are on clearance and pants and coats are on sale. Here are 3 things to do this weekend to pretend that none of this is happening!

* Screen on the Green- The City of Sacramento will be showing "Ghostbusters" on Saturday at sundown at East Portal Park. I highly recommend a late picnic from Selland's Market and a big blanket to watch the movie. Not much else says Sacramento like a picnic and a movie after dark.

*Davis Farmer's Market- Take a short road trip to Davis and hit the Saturday farmer's market. Your tastebuds will thank you and your kids will love the dad-powered carousel in the park. When you're done, wander through downtown and stop in one of the local shops.

*Raft the American- It's not as dangerous as it sounds, even if you've never rafted before. This is not whitewater and the biggest problem you're likely to have is sunburn. Pack up the cooler, take a lunch and spend the day on the water. The alcohol ban has made this a very pleasant and fun family adventure. Without the kids, you'll still have a chance to kick back, relax and daydream about your to-do list you've put off one more weekend. Check out River Rat Rentals and American River Raft Rentals for more info.

West Nile- I'll take my chances, stop spraying my house!

My house is being bombed by a WWII plane this week. At least that's what it sounds like at 7:30 every night when the West Nile spray plane takes off. In theory, we're outside of the spray zone. In reality, they hit our house at least 3 times last night. If I can see you flying overhead and could probably hit you with a rock if I tried, we're in your spray zone.

I am not afraid of West Nile virus. Don't get me wrong, I'm sorry that four elderly people have contracted West Nile. But does that mean my organic garden in my backyard needs to be blasted with pesticides because some people won't clean their pools? I happen to be allergic to chrysanthemums, the main ingredient in pyrethrins that they use to spray for the mosquitoes. I've read the news articles that say this is "nontoxic" for humans. Obviously they weren't in my house yesterday or today as I tried to stop sneezing and coughing long enough to take some extra allergy medicine. Sure it's "virtually" the same as lice treatment for children... in what dosage? Many chemicals are fine in a small amount and toxic in large amounts with continued exposure. That seems like cheating to me.

We really have no idea how this spray affects the local wildlife. NIH says it's toxic to fish as does this study from New York. In addition, if pyrethrins kill all insects and are nondiscriminate, could we be contributing to honeybee colony collapse? I have not seen one single wasp or bee in my backyard today and it's usually covered in yellow jackets and wasps by mid-afternoon.

We've had more hit and run deaths in Sacramento County than West Nile this year. I don't have recent statistics but 2005 stats say that 102 people were murdered in Sacramento County. More than 100 people died here from heat related problems last year. And we're spending money on spraying for West Nile? I can't find any cost data but I have to believe we could put one more cop on the street all year for the price of that private plane.

Organic Sacramento has more information and ways to voice your concerns. Stop West Nile Spraying Now has data and alternative ways to get rid of mosquitoes.

My personal belief- West Nile virus cases drop because people are hiding inside from all the pesticides being dumped on our parks, backyards and houses. Not too many mosquitoes inside our suburban homes.

6 Reasons to Love the Sacramento Library

Unless you've had your nose buried in Harry Potter, you probably haven't read enough this week. I know, it's hot and you don't want to go outside. I have the perfect solution- 6 reasons to love the Sacramento Library this Saturday. All branches except Courtland have Saturday hours so you have no excuse!

*The Carmichael branch of the library has a teen movie at 2pm and an old-time jug band at 5pm.

*Know someone who doesn't even know what a blog is? Perhaps they can't figure out how to email and keep bugging you? Send them to the Arcade branch for public computer classes on emailing and the internet.

*Hook up with the North Highlands/Antelope Mystery Book Club at 10am.

*Have someone else read to your preschooler for a change at the MLK branch preschool storytime, 10:30am for kids 3 to 6 years old.

*Rancho Cordova branch has a teen event with ghost hunter Gloria Young. Is your house haunted? 2pm

*Get a library card! Sacramento Public Library has gone high-tech, you can request books online and have them delivered right to your local library or even better, download books right to your computer.

On the driving subject...

This morning's Sacramento Bee in the Metro "Back Seat Driver" column has a scary writeup about driving. Evidently, commuters are not as stressed out as they may seem. Writer Tony Bizjak has written about a new study by Jennifer Hughes from Atlanta about stress during the commute. By testing saliva, Ms. Huges was able to measure fluctuating cortisol levels in response to stress. Her research found that overall, cortisol levels do not rise, therefore commutes are not as stressful as people seem to believe.

That's not the scary part. The article states that " A lot of people multi-task," Hughes says. "They do things like listen to the radio or books on tape." She goes on to say that you can listen to books, chat on the phone and sip your Starbucks. "Many moms say it is the best part of the day."

Shouldn't we be driving when driving? Sure I often drink my coffee but I never listen to a book, talk on the phone and drink my coffee. I'm pretty sure my brain can only handle so much... and that seems like about two too many things. I can't believe some people read the newspaper, talk on the phone and drive at the same time... but I've seen it.

Moms, if the commute is the best part of your day, it's time to make some changes. Maybe a yoga class in the evenings, a nice hot bath and a magazine or that big hug you get at the end of the day from your kids.

PLEASE learn how to drive!

I have had the very unfortunate luck to drive from North Natomas to the area near the Pavillions every day this week. Why is it that Sacramento drivers do not know how to drive? I've driven all over our country, from LA to Seattle, DC to SF. I even drove in Barcelona, Spain once. I swear, we have the worst drivers ever, anywhere.

For example, this morning while on I-5 South at the 50 interchange, some numbskull in the fast lane decides that he MUST take 50 or the world will end. So he cuts across all 6 lanes of traffic to the Q Street ramp, realizes his mistake and cuts back again one lane to the left. I slammed on my breaks so hard my poor little guy in the backseat dropped his book. Then I had to slam on the gas to get away from numbskull2 behind me who was text messaging or something on his phone and not realizing that everyone was stopping, came barreling down behind me.

Seriously people, slow down and pay attention! You will not get there faster if you hit me because I am going to wait for my insurance claims adjuster to come and I promise, it'll take hours.

A quick tip for those of you who are good drivers- check the CHP traffic incident info page before leaving your house to see if the roads are clear. In high quality government web design, you will have to select Sacramento at the top of the drop-down screen.

Other tidbits from the Grand Jury Report

*Sacramento County currently pays its pharmacists for health clinics 10% less than neighboring counties and 25-35% less than area hospitals. Temporary pharmacists are actually paid anywhere between 30 and 50% more than permanent hires. This pay scale problem has left a shortage of pharmacists, according to the report.

* The City and County are continuing to allow development in areas that do not have 100-year flood protection. Potential flood depths in some areas are greater than 15 feet. The report recommends that all building in North Natomas stops immediately until at least 100 year flood protection is achieved.

*The Education committee toured several area high schools and listed several components of the programs at each school. None of these snapshots shows any critique of the schools or programs. It is simply a short summary of the committee's tour of the campus and a description of the programs. It reads more like a marketing brochure for each school.

What went wrong in North Natomas?

This is the second in a series of blogs reviewing the Sacramento County Grand Jury report.

Anybody who has been in Sacramento more than 15 years remembers that North Natomas is farm land. It used to flood on purpose to protect other neighborhoods. A few people were brave enough to live here, but that was mostly farmers maintaining their agriculture land. That is until 1983 when the Kansas City Kings and other developers began filing for land development entitlements. With the Kings, came more development. And so the story of the insanity of North Natomas begins...

The city amended the 1974 general plan in 1986 to allow development in North Natomas. The new North Natomas Community Plan (NNCP) required open space, recreational space, mixed use land, infrastructure and a jobs to housing rate of 60%. In theory, the area would be "one of the must livable communities in the region and a community that serves as a model for the rest of the nation." (North Natomas Transportation Management Association Literature) The community would develop with smart growth principles, public transit, walkability and grow the village concept where neighbors can walk to work and to stores.

30 years later, the Grand Jury has found that almost none of the original NNCP has taken place. North Natomas has grown dramatically since the development of the plan in 1986 and yet we are still without:

* A police substation
*Numerous planned parks, including the regional park central to the village concept
*Bus service to the west of I-5
*Sidewalks that lead to Inderkum High School and Natomas Middle School
*Light rail to downtown and the airport

What did North Natomas get out of the deal?

*Monstrous shopping centers that are unwalkable and draw major congestion to the area
*Dangerous bike trails that pop out onto streets with no warning
*Loss of the 250 foot buffer at Fisherman's Lake
*Mandatory flood insurance

My 2 cents:
It's time for the city to review the original NNCP and determine exactly what the goals for the area will be for the next 10 years. As a resident of North Natomas, I bought into the village idea, the regional park, the live/work concept and the theory that the levees had been upgraded and we were now 'safe'.

At the bare minimum, North Natomas deserves adequate police protection and the same response time as the rest of the city. Beyond that, the residents deserve to know the truth about the plan for the area, including how much of the development rests in the hands of the Maloofs, Lennar and the "arena plan."

Betrayal in the Kingdom- The Grand Jury Report

The next series of blogs will be about the Sacramento County Grand Jury report for 2006-2007. It's not a very exciting read but so much information is buried inside that I'll try to summarize the important pieces for you!

If you've been reading for a while, you know I hate the city's attempt at Measures Q and R- also known as "the arena deal." Evidently, I wasn't the only one with suspicions as November 7, 2006, the Grand Jury began investigating the city and county's dealings with the Kings.

The backstory is this: when the Kings moved in 1985 to Sacramento from Kansas City, the favors and backroom deals began. The owners then had difficulty finding someone to finance an arena in flood prone Natomas, so the Sacramento City Employees' Pension fund loaned them $8 million. In 1997, the city loaned the Kings another $78.5 million and discussion began for a "Partnership for Playing" where the city would commit $150 million to Arco Arena and commit infrastructure to a new arena. The Kings withdrew their proposal in 1997 but left a feeling that the city would be the personal financier of the Kings. There were other loans issued in 1997 but the details are not public, despite being made from public funds.

$700,000 of public funds were spent getting Measures Q and R on the ballot in 2006, including $300,000 for sports consultants. The Grand Jury report is scathing, including "All the election hype and analyses were bogus!" Clearly the Grand Jury believes that the taxpayers were misled, lied to and fed a story that was neither true or researched.

And so we end up with the railyard. Yippee for us!! The city has conceded that it paid $55 million for a building that it does not think is worth $55 million. The infrastructure in the area will take years to develop but the city has implied that we'll have a railyard development very soon. Nevermind that there have been no objective studies of the railyard development or Richards Blvd. development. We love the Kings... or at least some city politicians love them so much that the idea of losing them is too much to handle.

In summary, the Grand Jury believes that the 2006 ballot measures Q and R, the railyard development, the love affair with the Kings and the 1997 loans had a hint of scam and the city has not been forthright with the citizens. It's time to shed a little light on the process!

Things to do for the 4th

There are lots of fun things to do in Sac to celebrate the 4th of July!

Celebrate the 4th

*Woodland Pancake Breakfast- check out the fire station and trucks while enjoying a delicious breakfast.

*River Cats vs. Fresno Grizzlies- good family fun and you don't have to BBQ the hot dogs!

*America- In Concert- Rancho Cordova's Hagan Park- Sacramento's largest regional celebration featuring live music, a parade, fireworks and more

*City of Davis 4th of July- Live music, softball, food and games and fireworks

Major Fireworks Locations
*Cal Expo- Gates open at 6pm. You can park in the area as well, but avoid the Business 80 at fireworks time. People actually stop on the freeway... nuts.

*Elk Grove Regional Park, Salute the Red White and Blue

Support truly local theatre

This weekend the Benvenuti Center opens for the grand opening gala. This project has been more than 10 years in the making and local charter school celebrities Charlie Leo and Ting Sun deserve a huge pat on the back. Natomas Charter School's Performing and Fine Arts Program has a world class theatre to call its own. Every minute of their hard work was worth it as students now have an amazing performance space and local artists will be drawn to perform in the state-of-the art theatre.

If you've got some spare change, check out the commissioned project this weekend to open the theatre with a bang.

Free movies!

It's summer in Sacramento and it's hot... well not that hot yet but you know it's coming. Rather than running your air conditioning, suffering at the office or driving around in your hot car, take a break at a free movie!

Regal Cinemas offers a Free Family Film every Tuesday and Wednesday at 10am. It is really, truly free. We usually buy popcorn but you don't even have to do that! Cinemark Woodland also offers movies as part of the Summer Clubhouse series. Really and truly free.

The only downside to the movies is that there are often a ton of families and kids. Many of these folks have not taught their children movie etiquette so you may have to suffer through kid noise, adult cell phones ringing and some hollering. If you want to watch the movie, it can be distracting. If you're just looking for free AC, bring some earplugs and take a nice nap.

The Saca continues...

Just days after CalPERS bought John Saca out of The Towers project, he is unveiling a new condo plan for downtown. According to News 10, the plan includes 320 condos at 10th and J st, across from Ceasar Chavez Park.

This part of downtown has struggled for a long time to overcome the reputation of being a little dangerous, a little dirty and very rundown. Music in the park on Fridays during the summer has drawn a bigger crowd back to the area but K St. is still dilapidated in several blocks, leaving a hole between Downtown Plaza and the Esquire. While the city succeeded in buying out the last few holdouts in 2006, not much has changed.

The new Saca project isn't on K St. or part of the K St development but it will surely feed more development in the area. Parts of J are just as patchy as K st in the immediate downtown area. Perhaps if he can make this project fly, it will be just what other developers need to get started making changed downtown.

Goodbye Towers Project

A few years ago, I nearly convinced my husband that giving up $10,000 on the potential of an amazing apartment with a view of the Capitol was a brilliant idea. I rarely say it, but honey, you were right!

The hope of the idea that Sacramento would be able to build and sustain a high-rise apartment building of the caliber of The Towers Project is gone. CalPERS announced last week that they are buying Saca out of the project and going into redesign mode. It's doubtful that CalPERS will keep the original concept and many people who wanted an apartment have made the jump to the Aura building already.

So what does this mean? Is Sacramento not yet ready for such a high-brow concept? Saca was a visionary and was willing to take a leap that nobody else in Sacramento had really gone for. It was only after Saca secured funding that Aura even got started. It was amazing to hear chatter on the streets of the future of Sacramento and the rise of a new downtown. I truly enjoyed the idea that the downtown might flourish without a city-funded, taxpayer burdening arena.

I have to agree with Marcos Breton in today's Bee article. The idea of the Towers begged for us to believe that Sacramento could be so much more. I for one, can only stand by and hope that CalPERS and CIM are able to come up with a better, grander project than envisioned by Saca, one that will continue the blossoming downtown force. Please do not build us another office building that closes by 6pm and has nothing to offer the public more than 100 hours a week. We want a hotel, vibrance, restaurants, mixed-use facilities and creativity. Something to put Sacramento on the architectural map.

And to agree again with Breton... without the Maloofs.

The one local political event you NEED to care about

Love him or hate him, Michael Moore has a new movie and a new agenda. Do you have health insurance? Are you sure they'd cover you in the event of a catastrophe? What about if you needed life-saving but experimental treatment? You may believe that because you have insurance, you're not one of "them". I'm sorry to say, you are one of "them". If you have to fight your insurance company, it is a long, dark and lonely road and frankly, you may be dead before you find the path that leads the right direction.

Tomorrow, Michael Moore will testify in front of the CA State Senate, followed by a rally on the west steps. If you hated Moore's other films, that's okay. You still need to see "Sicko" to truly understand the downside of our healthcare system in the USA. While insured Americans are dying, pharmaceutical companies are turning in record profits, for-profit health care is booming and people who bought and paid for insurance are being denied care.

If nothing else, Mr. Moore has brought an issue to the forefront that needs to be discussed. 47 million Americans don't have insurance at all. They at least know they'll have to fight for healthcare. But what about you?

Things to do in and around town this weekend

Sacramento in June is never this nice to enjoy it! So what should you be doing this weekend to celebrate the beautiful temperatures? 10 things to do in no particular order:

*Hit the NASCAR All-American Speedway at the Placer County Fairgrounds

*Visit a local farm and pick berries or apricots. My favorite is Impossible Acres but there are other choices like Pacific Star Gardens and Boa Vista Orchards.

*Take your hot dog out to a new dog park for a run in the sun. Then hit our favorite doggy wash The Wagger Day Spa for a bath.

*If you love animals but don't want to hit the dog park, visit the SPCA Doggy Dash in Land Park instead.

*Do you need your faith in education renewed? Take the kids to the Westlake Charter School International Festival. Believe in our education system again.

*Before it is unbearably hot, take a train ride on a steam engine.

*Visit the animals and the nature sanctuary at Effie Yeaw.

*Enjoy dining on a patio downtown. Choose one of the many new restaurants that suits your foodstyle and go for it. Zocalo, Mikuni, Lucca, Tapa the World and many others have great patios.

*If you like big planes, jets, airshows, tricks and worst of all, traffic, visit the Capital Airshow. If not (especially the traffic), stay far, far away from Mather.

*Last but not least, have a toast for my parents who are celebrating their 200th anniversary or something like that.

Sactown Magazine is all you need-

A free plug for my favorite magazine, Sactown. If you haven't picked up a copy yet, you're missing out.

The latest issue was thoroughly impressive and I savored each page like a delicious piece of dark chocolate. Are you tired of the Sacramento Magazine boring version of 50 things to do in Sacramento (some of which aren't even in or close to Sacramento)? You've got to get the June/July issue of Sactown to see what there really is to do in town. I've lived here my whole life and I learned a few things! I had no idea there is still a drive-in in West Sacramento or that you could play golf after dark, for a price.

What I love most about Sactown is that it proves Sacramento is a real city. We're not just halfway between the Bay and Tahoe. There are actual things to do here, places to eat of note, people to see (check out the fashion show spread) and reasons to stick around on the weekend.

When was the last time you took a picnic to Capitol Park, McKinley Park or Land Park? Have you visited the new Aerospace Museum?

Perhaps it's time to organize a group of friends and do a progressive dinner downtown? We recently did one for a mom's night out with an international theme, visiting Tapa the World, Shanghai Garden and Crepeville. There are literally hundreds of combinations you could come up with!

My challenge to you this weekend- buy a copy of Sactown Magazine and try something in Sacramento that you haven't done before, or haven't done in a long time!

The Whales head back to the ocean

Thank goodness the whales have finally headed back and are almost clear of the San Pablo Bay. If you're one of the thousands of people who flocked to the delta to harass the whales, I hope you can ask yourself honestly "Was it necessary?" Was Discovery Channel not good enough? These poor whales got lost and while we'll never know, probably stayed lost due to human intervention. Noise, boats, pollution, even porta-potties could have stalled the whales' return to the open ocean.

Those of you who ran out there dragging your kids in tow, are you the same ones that bought organic foods, canvas bags and environmentally friendly lightbulbs because Oprah said so? I'm fairly certain that driving your gas-guzzling SUV out to the unpaved delta roads, was not what she had in mind for conservation. I was appalled at the amount of trash, the greed-grubbing entrepreneurs who made is easy with water and snack sales, the security and manpower required to contain the crowd.

Worse, it appears that local news seems to have forgotten we're in the middle of a war. While I like a happy story now and then, the obsession with the whales has somehow overpowered the reason of the news directors. Do more than about 50 Americans know we are in talks with Iran?

Natomas School Board, are you nuts?

Dear Natomas Unified School Board:

Have you lost your minds? Did all that "no child left behind" stuff confuse you so badly that paying $24 million for land you don't need seemed like a good plan? Perhaps there is campaign cash falling into pockets that we won't know about for weeks or months to come. Perhaps there is a recall heading your way. We're tired of failing schools, failing students, security concerns and a board that can't count it's own cash. See you at the polls.
Sincerely,
Concerned Natomas resident


For those of you just catching up, the Natomas Unified School Board just purchased farmland for $24.7 million based on a hypothetical appraisal of land value. The lawyer on the deal double ended the purchase, representing the district and the seller (who happens to be Tsakopoulos). Somehow none of this information ended up in front of the school board before it made the decision to purchase the land at the outrageous price of 3 times the going rate for land in the immediate area. The appraiser instead, used numbers based on the land being annexed into the city, which is not on the long or short-range plan. Basically, he made the whole thing up. Nice work.- how do I get that job?

Dr. Ferrar, you are the superintendent of the district and supposed to be the one asking questions. How did you not realize that the lawyer and law firm on both sides were the same? Did it somehow sneak by you on the paperwork? Did you not have district employees do their own due diligence before signing off on the deal? What is going on over at that huge district office that a land deal somehow didn't get checked and double-checked?

This is not the first time the district has suffered a major oops. The district continues to state that enrollment is "falling" in the area. In numerous rumors throughout teachers and those "in the know" in the district, this is simply a spin to leave out the fact that the enrollment projections were miscalculated in the first place. A portion of the active-adult community of Heritage Park is in the Natomas Unified boundaries. No children are allowed to reside in these houses and therefore, there are no students. However, rumors persist that the district didn't count this in the enrollment projections and is now short about 2500 students. Many believe this is the reason for the delay in Heron Elementary opening, as well as the lack of need for this new land.

What a mess. Thank you to the Bee for picking up the story and realizing that the Natomas Unified board has some serious questions to answer. They'd better move fast, elections are coming soon.

Things to do in and around town this weekend

The weather is heating up and finally looking like spring. It'll only last about 5 days if Sacramento weather follows true to form so you have one weekend to get out and do something!

Some highlights of fun family events around town:

*My personal favorite- The Capital City Caper fundraiser for FamiliesFirst! Our pirate themed team will be Lootin' for Charrrrity, so if you see us around town try not to laugh hysterically!

*Saturday, May 19th in Old Sac- celebrate the opening of Pirates of the Caribbean III from 12pm to 4pm with treasure hunts, a costumed Jack Sparrow and more, courtesy of Stage Nine.

*All weekend- Fairytale Town hosts the Annual Puppet Festival by Puppet Art Theatre, good for anyone under 8 or so...

* Raging Waters makes its debut at CalExpo in the old Waterworld location. Get out and hit the slides before the summer crowd takes over.

* Oh yeah, and if your kids didn't drag you last weekend, Day with Thomas is wrapping up in Woodland.

Get out Sacramento and enjoy the weather!

Wayward Whales in West Sac

Two humpback whales have wandered up the delta to the Port of Sacramento in a repeat of the Humphrey the Humpback story of 1984 when Humphrey got lost in the same waters. Vets and scientists are gathering to try to figure out the mystery and help the lost mom and calf get back to the ocean. Unfortunately, both whales are showing signs of injury, probably from a run-in with a boat propeller. Because May is the beginning of feeding season, both whales are running low on reserve blubber and need food pretty fast to be able to survive. Hopefully the scientists will be able to get them back to saltwater quickly.

Now gets to the puzzling part... several hundred people (some reports say 800) have been lining the banks of the levies, bridges and riverbanks to see the whales. If you were a wayward humpback whale, would the screaming of schoolchildren encourage you to head on down the river toward the ocean? I hope the scientists can turn their underwater mics up and play the humpback song louder than the crowds. In the meantime, give the whales and scientists some room!

All dedicated moms go to Thomas

This weekend is Day Out with Thomas and while you won't catch me within a 10 mile radius, all moms who truly love their little boys will be in Woodland this weekend. My son thankfully, really couldn't care less about Thomas. I'll be having a normal, happy Mother's Day celebration, avoiding the screaming crying children who just want one more train set.

If you're a mom who is still looking for something to do this weekend, it's not too late to spoil your little ones and hit the Sacramento River Train. When it's all said and done, have a glass of wine and give yourself a pat on the back for all of your hard work this year.

The end of an era

For as long as I can remember, Crystal Creamery has been a Sacramento staple. I'm not that old, but my family has been in Sacramento practically forever. Crystal was founded here in 1901 and has been owned and operated by the Hansen family since 1921. That's a long, long time for a family business to resist being snatched up- 86 years to be exact. Crystal has been sold to HP Hood LLC.

We'll be sad to see Crystal go. The status of the 500 employees is still unknown. The impact of the sale will be felt for a while in town, in ways many may not know. Many local stores opened or stayed open through low-interest loans from Crystal and other incentives to carry Crystal products. Many local dairies sell their milk directly to Crystal, reducing transportation, shipping and processing costs. On lighter notes, Crystal stood up for Sacramento when those horrid Lakers made "cow town" comments by creating yourcowtown.com and going along with the joke.

HP Hood has many of the same principles, including rBST hormone free milk and longstanding history in their community. But their community is New England, a far cry from Sacramento. In addition, Hood has made a name for themselves by purchasing franchising rights to major brand names like LACTAID, Stoneyfield Farms and Coffee-Mate. Not exactly a home-grown, local dairy.

Thanks Hansen family for your longstanding contributions to the community. We can only hope that Hood will be as good to Sacramento as Crystal.

Ewwwww a stinky flower!

Every couple of years this story about the corpse flower being in bloom makes the news. And every couple of years I wonder, why the heck anyone would want to smell a flower that smells like a dead corpse? I must be missing the wonderful experience. There has to be something I don't understand... It's not even a beautiful blossom, in fact it's quite hideous, phallic and just plain weird.

That being said, UC Davis is home to one of the relatively rare corpse flowers. If you'd like to see it in bloom or get a whiff, head down there quick. The bloom only stays open 2 to 5 days.

Once you've smelled it, please email me and enlighten me!

How do I know Oprah can change the world?

Oprah recently had a Going Green show talking about simple things a family can do to live a greener life. Now, we are by no means living a green life day to day but I am interested in what I can do in my small way to make sure we still have a planet for my son's generation to raise their children. I used to drive a Toyota Echo which averaged 35 miles a gallon. I traded it in this year for a Prius. But I'll be the first to admit that I drive my Prius through McDonalds at least once a week. I shop at the natural foods co-op but I never bring my own bag. I buy organic produce but I love a big, fat steak too. And I hate, I mean really hate, vegetables.

After watching Oprah's show, I realized that I can still do more without making major changes or really upsetting our standard of living. We're not talking about going off the grid here, just minor changes. So while doing the shopping today, I thought I'd pick up some of the products she recommended to live a little greener life. I had no idea how hard that would actually be.

Evidently, I was one of about 5 billion people who saw the show and shop at my local Target. I scoured the shelves for Seventh Generation laundry soap and found the very last bottle, hidden behind some other purple goo, damaged and sad. I bought it anyway. I couldn't find the Seventh Generation dish soap though... just a blank shelf and a sticker. On to Energy Smart lightbulbs- and yet another big hole. I found one box in the car section where I was looking for a sunshade for my car and snatched that up too. That was it, the end of my go green shopping spree. Nothing else was left. My Target looked like it probably does in the south, just after a hurricane warning. Only we were all on a mission to follow the word of Oprah.

My dad and I had a conversation the other day on this topic and he is convince that it won't make a difference what Oprah says. True changes can only come if the government and big business get on the hydrogen-powered bus and stop making excuses. I disagree. If every Target in the US and Oprah-viewing area looks like mine today, we have made a major stride in using our economic power to change the world.

All because Oprah told me to...

If you haven't hurled a haggis, you're not really living!

My all-time favorite event for Sacramento area families is happening this weekend! It's time for the Sacramento Valley Scottish Games and Festival. If you're looking for fun family entertainment this weekend, Yolo County fairgrounds is the place to be! A short drive to Woodland and you'll be transported to another world of highland dancing, pasties, cabers and sheepdogs.

For the true fans, Friday night kicks off with a Ceilidh dance featuring several Scottish and Celtic rock bands, dinner and dancing. Ceilidh is perhaps the best aerobic activity short of your local spinning class. You will never in your life jump, spin and hop as much as an hour at a Ceilidh.

Saturday and Sunday are family friendly and there's even a small carnival area for kids. Watch other youngsters highland dance and remember that your knees are not 10 years old anymore. Then stop by the athletic fields and see a caber toss, hammer throw and stone throw and remember that warfare didn't used to be quite so easy. You don't have to tell the kids about that though...

My personal favorite is always the animals. Did you know border collies can actually herd ducks? Sometimes it takes a little while but it's hilarious and certainly worth the few minutes waiting for the action to begin. A small corner at the fair is dedicated to highland and Scottish animals and you'll probably see some of the tallest and smallest dogs you've ever seen in your life.

If that's not enough, there's always shopping for tartans, kilts, family crests, imported food from the Isles and much more. Pop in to one of the Clan booths and make a new friend or research your family heritage.

Even if you're not Scottish, it's fun to pretend for a day!

Where oh where has our light rail gone?

Since 1991, Sacramento RT has been preserving right-of-way options to put in light rail. In theory, light rail was also incorporated into the regional plan for North Natomas. I remember when we bought our house in 1999 in North Natomas, it was "only a matter of time" until we could zip downtown or out to the airport on light rail. Traffic would be less complex at Arco because the new light rail would allow people from all over the city to leave their cars at home. It was an attractive option, certainly one that many newbies from the Bay liked.

It's 2007... Truxel Rd. is being ignored because "someday" there will be light rail there. Why bother putting money into your property if it'll be imminent domained anyway? For-sale signs popped up within minutes of the announced plan in 2003 to run the trains down Truxel. Not much has changed since then. A spring 2005 fact sheet , lists construction to begin in 2010, but the February 2006 fact sheet doesn't even list an estimated construction date.

It appears that the plan is mired in environmental woes. I agree wholeheartedly that the tracks need to be placed in an environmentally-conscious way, which is why I originally supported the plan to run the trains down the freeway. If the area is already damaged, a few more tracks probably won't make much of a difference.

Instead... we're left with a growing blight down Truxel and along the Downtown-Natomas-Airport (DNA) line. Isn't that an environmental concern as well? The airport expansion originally included light rail, however, the newest plan from the airport expansion folks does not include an airport line until 2020. 2020? What? Won't we have flying cars by then?

We have Penguins! (Now if we only had a zoo...)

Today the Magellanic Penguins on loan from the SF Zoo go on display at the Sacramento Zoo. As Zoo Parents, my son and I had the privilege of attending the preview party yesterday and they sure are cute little guys. All six lined up on the ledge, and as if on cue, shoved each other one by one into the water. the crowd let out a collective "ooohhhhh" and the penguins were a hit.

Really though, it'd be a much better sell if we actually had a zoo... yes I know there's a large area in Land Park called the zoo. I know there are animals there and a brand new Vet hospital. But if you've ever visited a zoo in a large city, you know what I mean. We have a tiny excuse for a zoo. We are not Portland, Seattle or Denver and we are not even a close second compared to San Diego. San Diego Zoo had close to 3.2 million visitors in 2006 and Portland had nearly 1.5 million in 2006. Less than 500,000 people visited our little zoo last year.

Regardless of your opinion on zoos, it's hard to argue that they do a decent job of protecting species that left in the wild are going extinct. Zoos create a place for children to see animals up close and personal that they otherwise would not experience. Sure, I'd rather that our borrowed penguins be in their native Argentina fishing. But the reality is that seeing the penguins creates a sense of compassion, ownership and dedication to protect. You cannot create that for most people with a postcard, an Animal Planet show or a funny cartoon movie.

The Sacramento Bee article dated 4/6 says that for approximately $200 million we could have a "zoo of the future", perhaps a landmark of distinction that would encourage visitors to see something beyond Old Sac and the capitol. That seems like a lot of money but in comparison, we could build two zoos for the cost of a new arena. Sacramento is already leading the way on eco-living, green standards and solar power. Why not put forth a state-of-the-art conservation zoo and expand our environmental concern to protecting animals as well?

If I have to choose, I'll take basketball on TV and penguins, cheetahs and elephants in person.